Cadence Academy Preschool

My sons attended Cadence for about 4 months this year after our nanny abruptly left - we needed short-term, full day childcare until we moved to another city. The team there is fantastic - friendly and genuinely kind people who care about the kids in their school. Food is included, but it's "kid food" - lots of chicken nuggets and fish sticks - so if you're looking for something organic or fancy you might want to provide your own food instead. That said, they were very accommodating of my kids' dietary restrictions and never made us worry that our kids would be fed something they couldn't eat (something I can't say for every child care facility we've encountered in LKN). The playgrounds are a little old - mulch-filled and older style equipment, chain link fences, etc. Compared to some newer facilities, the playgrounds could use some love, but my kids were happy so I didn't mind. Water play day on Wednesdays in the summer! Ice cream truck visits every other Tuesday in the summer! Older kids might even go for a walking field trip to Bruster's - the highlight of their week. Communication with the front office and with your kid's teacher is more challenging now because of COVID. I found I was still able to reach people if I needed to, and they answered all of my questions to my satisfaction. A weekly newsletter or email from teachers to parents might be a good idea - sometimes we felt surprised by planned events and daily/weekly themes. I love the layout of the building inside - the older kids' classroom in the middle feels very much like a Montessori environment to me. Overall would highly recommend!

I did 2 interviews with this preschool before sending my 3 year old here for the first time. The information I received was good. I wasn't super impressed in the interview with the curriculum aspect, but I felt that the social interaction and exposure to structure was more important at this age. I am a teacher, thus anything lacking in education, I would make up for with my child. I was told that the student to teacher ratio was 9:1. There was great security. Upon arrival on my first day, it was okay. It was kind of expected that I knew the routine, vs. oh here is your first day let me show you how we do things during drop off. Again, nothing to be too upset about. The typical crying and clinging occurred when trying to hand off my child to the teacher, because of COVID I am not allowed to enter the classroom. Due to this, I expected a more welcoming vibe when entering the classroom. The teacher did not seem welcoming, and also did not ask me any questions about my child on day 1. My son is potty trained for over a year, she did not even ask if he was or wasn't. I did enjoy the app on the first day. The next day I took my son, similar drop off, but I went to pick him up and he was with someone I had never met and did not know. I wasn't aware that he had a "sub". This was not communicated with me at the beginning of the day or during the day through the magical app. I was upset at this, but looked past it at the time. The next time I took my son, at drop off I opened up the classroom door and the teacher shouted too me "no, you're going to have to wait outside, I can't take anymore kids". This was odd and exacerbated my already nervous child. I was directed at that time to take him to a different classroom. The guy from the previous day was in there- still had no idea who he was. He had about 15 kids in that room. They were all running around crying. This obviously upset my child. The teacher was picking up the kids more aggressively than I would have liked and keeping them out of the doorway. I felt really bad for this guy, but also did not want to leave my child there. I felt it was important to leave him, so my son did not feel like he could cry and I would take him away. I was extremely upset. I went to the front desk and asked why my son wasn't allowed in his classroom and was with some guy I don't know who he is. I was then told that they were low on teachers and its all hands on deck and they would try to be more consistent in the future with my son because he is new. I left crying. I decided to pick him up early because I wasn't going to let him stay there after that. When I picked him up, the guy joked about me taking more home with me because he had 19 in there! I communicated with the director via email about my concerns. She made sense in what she said, but also as a preschool that is responsible for little ones who cannot communicate for themselves at the level necessary, I expect a level of communication from those who are paid to care and teach my child. While this app was pushed to us that it was great, there was only one day in which it was used to update me about my child's daily habits. After that, there was no evidence of learning occurring and I barely received updates that my son ate. The director made me aware at that time that there is a group of teachers that would be caring for my child, which again- not communicated about. There was one instance that in the app it said peed on the playground in the app. When I picked up my son, he didn't seem like he was going to tell me anything until I asked. Then he said "he just pulled his pants down and peed in the sandbox like a cat". I asked if he pulled his pants up and he said "nope, just walked around". Didn't add anything about if he talked to him about this or what. I am proud of my son for peeing somewhere other than his pants, but no idea what the teacher thought, said or did at that point. Elementary, middle, and high schools all have open houses and in the day of covid have virtual ones. In which students and parents can meet the teachers discuss expectations and ask questions. This is more of a need in a preschool in which younger kids cannot advocate for themselves as much as a older ones. I also am unsure why they are pushing an app that is supposed to essentially replace face to face communication with parents if it is not detailed or being used to the extent they advertise. I decided that the chaotic environment wasn't worth the covid exposure and pulled my child out.

My Kids Love this School. When we are on vacation they are asking when they are going back to see their friends. The staff is great, facility is clean and I don't have to worry if my kids will be ready for kindergarten.

We've only recently moved our children over to Gateway from the Goddard School.The building is well designed, the lobby was open, warm, and though a small detail, it smelled of warm potpourri as opposed to the normal sterile, hospital smell of child care centers. The middle of the building is open, creating a sense of community among the children. I like that my older daughter can see her little brother at points during the day, she always worried about him.The staff is laid back and engaged with with kids. We felt no pressure from them on signing up, nor were we rushed through the building during the tour.Considering the meals are prepared for the children, the cost is reasonable and I feel is a strong value in the market. The location is convenient to us on the way home but also is off the main roads, so I don't worry about traffic or danger from outside.

I guess I have no other choice than to give 1 star. If I could give 0 I probably would, but since I can't, I guess 1 for effort will do. I brought my daughter to this location when she was 9 weeks old. Thinking she was going to be taken care of and have her needs met in every way. Little did I know that this location practices "cry it out methods" (even at 9 weeks). I pay WAY to much money for them to be practicing anything but love, cuddling and teaching....This was not the case. Also, on several occasions I found a pacifier being put in my daughter's mouth, hence, she does NOT take a pacifier. She was sick a week after taking her there, throwing up for a week, however, I do not know if them putting a paci in her mouth was the reason she was sick. But I do know that it wasn't her pacifiier. On her last day there, I walked in to find that my baby was the only one crying in the room, and since I couldn't see her, I assumed she was in her crib. The lead teacher, Nikka, was doing paperwork in the rocker facing the door and the assistant was changing diapers. I walked in and asked what was wrong with her, the assistant replied "I don't know". How does the person taking care of my daughter NOT KNOW whats wrong?? When I went over to the crib she looked like she had been kinda thrown into the crib on her back, her little hand was gripping tight to the railing and tears rolling down her face. I picked her up and immediately she burped 3 TIMES LOUDLY, obviously she was uncomfortable!!! As a parent, I had to assess the situation, because I was feeling very very angry. I then asked them if they had been giving her the paci there at daycare...they told me "no" right to my face. I went out to my car and cried for about 10 mins wondering if I was over reacting. I mean, who wants their baby being the only one crying in the room while no one pays attention to her needs. SHE NEEDED TO BURP! And if Nikka could have put the paperwork aside for a few moments to check on her she would have known. And we all know that babies at that age don't cry for no reason! After a few hours I realized I needed to talk to the director about the situation, but I had already made up my mind that she would no longer attend Gateway Academy, b/c who knows how they would treat my daughter if she came back. When I spoke with the director she was very CLEAR that Nikka had NEVER had a complaint on her...I'm actually not gonna go any further than that....Once someone says that, they are obviously not going to believe me and side with the teacher. I did tell the Director everything else that happened and how I felt. I then gave my notice. I actually had to pay for the 2 weeks notice I had to give in order to un-enroll her. BTW, if you are reading this, I am not one of those crazy parents that believe their baby should NEVER cry....that is NOT the case. But, when I am paying you to take care of my baby, I expect her to be taken care of in EVERY WAY POSSIBLE!! And children at that age have reasons to cry, even if its to be cuddled, diaper changed or be talked to for reassurance everything is ok, maybe even in my case, BURP! This is a BIG world for them and they have only been here a short period of time. And I also want to be clear that I understand that the ratio is 1:5. However, Nikka was doing paperwork....she had no babies in her hands! Planning time should be done outside of the room!! I really hope this information is helpful to the next parent that is on the fence about enrolling their child here. Below is a picture of my daughter the day I cried outside before driving off with her....and the one on the right is her at a place where they make her smile. If "Cry it out methods" are your thing, then Gateway is the place for you.

My youngest child has attended Gateway for over one year and he loves it - as do we. The warmth exhibited by all of the teachers and staff is exactly what I seek when choosing childcare: they love each and every child. The childcare provided is skilled and the teachers "own" their rooms/student groups: from decorating to activities to books to centers/circle time, the teachers seem engaged, creative, enthusiastic and seeking to improve wherever needed. We're thrilled with the professionalism and care.

Great school! Love Mrs. Elizabeth to death! The most caring, loving and great teacher. A teacher that truly cares....

We have been at "Gateway" aka Cadence Academy now for about 5 years. My daughter started when she was one and was there until kindergarten. We even did per school there! I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the directors and staff! I wish we had started her prior to her being 1. We had a horrible experience before and I was so nervous at first. But the teachers and directors were very responsive. After my daughter was there, we had a second one and due to covid I was able to juggle him and work. He started there at the age of one as well and has learned and grown so much! He is now 3 and my daughter 6, will be there this summer. We absolutely love this daycare!!!! Thank you teachers and directors for doing an absolutely hands down amazing job! Side note: even with the teacher change overs they have been very commutative and understanding my needs and concerns. Changes were made! They listen to you and work with the needs of your child!!!!

My daughters were at Cadence Academy (formerly Gateway) for over 4 years. Cadence was their 2nd home and they were surrounded by people who truly cared for and loved them. They started at Cadence when I was going through chemo and I could not have asked for a better place for them to be during a very uncertain and challenging time in my life. Cadence provided them with a stable environment, consistency, and the education they needed. My oldest was SO well prepared for Kindergarten and thrived when she started. She also participated in their after-school program for 2.5 years which was another great experience and program for her. I always knew she was going to a safe place after school, and often she didn't want to leave when I went to pick her up. My youngest just graduated from Pre-K and is so well prepared to start Kindergarten. Ms. Jen and Ms. Archana are so wonderful with the kids and always have such fun lessons planned every day. She started Cadence when she was 1 and we never had a bad experience in any of her classrooms... they promoted independence with all activities, assisted with her potty training, promoted good social skills, and so much more. The administrative staff is always easy to talk to, respond to all questions quickly, and are understanding and supportive of changing schedules. When returning to school after COVID started, the staff did such an amazing job with cleaning, taking necessary precautions, and communication about concerns. We highly recommend Cadence to anyone who asks about daycare/ pre-k needs and we have several friends whose children go there as well!

We sent both our 1 yr old and our 5 yr old to Gateway off Catawba for 3-4 months and I have now relocated both of them to new schools. The 1 yr old program was lovely - the teachers were loving and he had excellent care. I disliked the room they were in - I found it to be cramped, and often they merged classes together so drop-offs were chaotic with way too many kids in one room in my opinion. That was my only reason for leaving - the teachers loved him and I could see that. The 5 yr old program is a complete joke. There is no curriculum - no education whatsoever. I was told that they would have Spanish class 4 times per week, "Kindergarten Day" where they had a tight class schedule like a real Kindergartener, and home work due every week. The reality was laughable. Per my 5 yr old, they simply play indoors for a while, and play outdoors for a while, and fill their time with cartoons -- they averaged 3-4 cartoons per day. I was appalled when I learned this. My daughter's art projects mirrored those of my 1 yr old -- I'm not kidding. It was remedial at best, and she was so bored that she was crying on her way to school nearly every morning. The location has a new Director - I had hope that this would infuse positive change. Instead, she never bothered to introduce herself to my husband or me -- I thought she was the new Administrative Assistant for weeks until we realized that must be the new director. She has no people skills and didn't bother to speak to me in person after emailing her that I was pulling my 5 yr old out of the program. It would not have taken much for me to keep my 1 yr old there, but I was so appalled by the cartoon situation and shocked that she couldn't be bothered to speak to me at all -- she never once introduced herself to me over the 10+ weeks that she took the role. This is an ailing daycare with a ton of potential, so it's sad to see that they chose such a passive personality to run the program.